Treacle: Legend of the Dormouse
by jjhatter
Summary: My origin story for Mallymkun; will later include her POV of the film. Dedicated to fellow author katzsoa. Enjoy, and, please, review!
1. Chapter 1

At long last! I finally am able to post this story! And now, the boring stuff… (READ IT. IMPORTANT!)

Rating: T (For safety purposes...I've already lost my head once. That's why I'm here.)

Disclaimer: If there is anything I DO own in this story, I'll point it out. As of this chapter, I own only the characters of Mally's family. Everything else goes to Tim Burton, Disney, and Lewis Carroll.

Summary: My origin story for Mallymkun the Dormouse, plus her point of view of _Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland._ Hints of both Tarrant/Mally and Chessur/Mally throughout.

Notice: This story was begun, quite literally, five minutes after I first saw the film in theaters. At the same time, I began work on _The Final Game of Cat and Mouse_. Originally I wrote this as a companion piece and prequel to that story…but then along came _Paper Faces_. Some of the chapters that shall appear later were/will be changed slightly for this reason; this origin story is meant to be canon with ALL my works, from _Alice in Wonderland: The Seussical! _to _No Big Deal, Hatter!_: if you prefer the _Paper Faces/Thriller Night_ canon, this works. It would just as easily work, however, for _The Final Game_ series, written by both myself and katzsoa, a fantastic author whose own stories were inspirational in the creation of this fic, and whose help in certain future scenes and chapters is greatly appreciated. To her, I dedicate this. Thanks, Katz.

And now…let the games begin! (evil laugh)

Mally: _Why do you do that? I hate it when you do that._

Myself: _That, dormousey, is what makes it fun._

Chess: _MY NICKNAME!_

Myself: _Sorry! Now, enough of this small talk…_

Hatter: _How can talk be small? After all, there are so many languages, and many isn't small, and small isn't many, and..._

Myself: _Hatter! Please!_

Hatter: _Sorry._

Myself: _(sighs) Just...let's start the chapter, all right?_

_**Book I**_

**Chapter I: And So it Begins...**

A small, white dormouse opened her eyes.

She flinched slightly as she sat up, her cheek still burning...

_I still don't know what set him off this time..._

_Well...he won't be back for another two days. That, at least, gives me a break from being broken._

The dormouse stood up, moving over to the miniature coat rack that she used to keep her clothing on. She had but one outfit, as did all of her family: a pink blouse, a pink skirt, a vanilla-colored apron with no pockets or frills, and a pair of maroon-toned breeches.

She winced – twice – as she put the outfit on.

_Everything hurts, as usual..._

_And I MEAN everything..._

The dormouse often thought to herself...speaking to herself out loud was suicide in her mind, and she'd been taught long ago to keep her thoughts hidden when it concerned her...father.

That was all she could call him. And there was no affection in that word. He had helped to bring her into the world, and that's all he really was. He wasn't even a parent, in her mind. Just a father. He wasn't "dad," or "papa," or anything else...just "father."

Her mother called him Lawrencio.

She sighed softly.

Her mother...Mally loved her, but she didn't understand her. Why did she put up with _him?_ For that matter, how _could_ she? What was the point?

_He hits her almost as often as he hits me..._

_Almost..._

She growled, serious again.

Her shifting moods were a constant of her age and being. A life of smacks, slaps, swats, punches, kicks, and..._other _things had caused this.

Of course, she didn't know this...not consciously.

The dormouse's name was Mallymkun.

And she had no idea she would, someday, become a living legend.

"Mally?"

Mallymkun half-smiled, half-frowned.

_Reason number one on why not to live in a burrow: no real privacy amongst family. No doors..._

"Morning, Milliani."

Mallymkun had three siblings, all sisters: Milliani and Moldoven, the twins, who seemed to agree on everything, both with tan fur. The only difference between them was the color of their clothes: Milliani wore a green outfit, while Moldoven wore a dark purple one. Both were about a year younger than her, and very shy. The third, and youngest – younger than Mallymkun by almost ten years – was Mindysa. She was quiet, and a bit timid...but all in all, she was her eldest sister's favorite, for one simple reason: she spoke up.

Mally, as her sister's called her, spoke up, and got slapped around for it, often. Mindy would speak up, and get whacked, too...but, like her older sister, she never kept down.

But they had learned to keep their mouths shut most of the time...

Mark the word "most"...

"Morning, Mally. Mom's waiting. You ready?"

"I'll be right out, Milly. Where's Mindy?"

"She and Molly are waiting outside."

A pause as Mally slung on a leather belt.

She didn't know why she had it...she'd taken it from her father.

He didn't seem to mind.

Much.

"Did he...hurt you again?"

"He always hurts me, Milly. I would think you'd know that by now."

Milliani shivered slightly; her sister was downright scary when she got irritated or – Heaven forbid – angry.

"S-sorry..."

"Never mind. Let's go."

Mally followed Mindy out of the burrow. It had been separated into eight passages, and a foyer of sorts. Four of the passages led to the bedrooms: the "parents'," Mally's, Mindysa's, and Milly and Molly's. The other four were trick passages, presumably to throw predators off guard.

Predators, Mally presumed, that would easily detect the trickery.

She groaned inwardly; her father was ex-military...or, at least, he claimed he was. In truth, he'd been kicked out for..."inappropriate" behavior.

She couldn't imagine why.

Whatever the case, her father liked to "plan" things...usually not very well. He was very precise (that is to say, sloppy) in his home.

He would often disappear for hours, and sometimes days, at a time on what he called "missions."

In other words, trips to the Marmoreal Palace, where he would rob the storerooms of some wine.

He drank far too much wine.

Thankfully, whenever he left, that gave the ladies of the hole free range...whenever Lawrencio was around, nobody was allowed to leave the mouse hole.

Mally rolled her eyes. Apparently, her father never wanted anybody to leave. The only reason they hadn't run off for good was because they figured he'd probably come after them.

Mally was often the one to stop attempts that had happened before; she wanted nothing more than escape, but she dearly cared for her sisters and mother.

She could take care of herself.

She'd been taking care of herself for years.

Here, most everyone took care of themselves.

It was pretty much foolishness to do otherwise when her father was home.

But, with him gone, and with the date being Yadyam, a celebration of Spring, they had all made plans to attend a festival in Witzend.

Mally had no intention of joining in the festivities, though.

She had other plans...

The white dormouse and her sister exited the mouse hole. Their burrow was built at the base of an old treacle well...it had not been used for a long time.

It had some treacle left in it though.

Mally shuddered; she'd come to hate the taste of treacle. Forget soap in your mouth; disrespect Lawrencio, and you were force-fed a cup (or, what was a cup to a rodent) of pure, aged treacle.

Her mother and Mindy both had light gray fur, almost silver, and white paws and eyespots. Her mother wore a miniature sun hat and a red jacket, while Mindysa wore a blue outfit, identical to her sisters'.

"Now, everyone knows the drill..."

"Stay together."

"No one leaves the group without asking."

"Keep your eyes open."

"And, whatever happens," Mally finished, "don't get stepped on or eaten."

Her mother nodded, eyes darting around; Mally often wondered if her ever-set nervousness was a result of some sort of trauma caused by her father, or if it was just her usual personality.

They took off, on all fours, into the Tulgey Woods. It was about an hour's run from the well on the outskirts of Marmoreal to the park in Witzend, reserved for parties and festivals.

Mally ran on, her mind still running full speed, to the beat of her heart.

_You'd think mom would be used to this; we've done this every year at Yadyam, and we haven't met a single bird or cat or anything like that in all that time..._

_Well...unless you count that falcon I thrashed..._

Mallymkun smiled fiercely; unlike the rest of her family, she was rather notorious for picking fights. It was a trait that had saved her life about as often as it had gotten her into trouble. Indeed, the only creatures she would usually avoid fights with were her youngest sister...and her father.

She'd never really won a fight with him yet.

For that matter, whenever she tried to start one, it always ended up with her in a worse spot than he, mainly because, for whatever reason, she could never find it in herself to hit back, no matter how hard or how much she wanted to.

After about half an hour, she realized the chattering voices of her family had subsided...

She'd lagged behind.

_Oh, henfan..._

"Mom? Mindy? Milly? Molly?"

No answer.

Mally moved forward, slowly, trying to sniff them out...

No hints. Her nose had never been the strongest...

But something was in the air...

The second she realized what that something was, a voice cut into her head: "If I were you," it purred, "I'd be more interested in what's behind me than what is ahead of me..."

Her eyes narrowed.

_Why must it always be me...?_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Book I**_

**Chapter II: The Smiling Cat**

Mally backed up slightly from the cat that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Its fur was gray with blue stripes rimmed in black. Its turquoise colored eyes glittered wickedly, narrowed into slits as it stared at her hungrily. Its claws were scraping the ground, long and black, as it crouched, tail whipping excitedly. Its mouth was pulled into a wide, toothy grin.

Mally knew instantly what she was up against: she'd just been cornered by one of the most feared enemies of all dormice, a Cheshire Cat.

"Hello, breakfast," purred the cat in a voice like a smooth silk ribbon, licking its teeth with a long pink tongue.

Mally's eyes darted around, searching not for an escape, but for a means of defense. She'd never faced a cat before, although a falcon and at least four rats had given her at least a small amount of experience in fighting.

Whatever the case, it didn't take a genius to realize her small teeth and claws would be of little help.

"Afraid?" purred the cat, misinterpreting her actions. "You should be."

The cat, still crouched low, circled the dormouse. She followed its motions, never turning her back to it. Her eyes brightened upon catching a glimpse of a stick, not too large, on the ground nearby...

"Now, what is a morsel like you doing in this neck of the woods?" growled the cat, simultaneously with its rather large stomach.

"Before I met you," said Mallymkun slowly, "I was heading for a Yadyam party in Witzend."

"Well, from feasting to being the feast!" hissed the cat, and pounced. Mally rolled out of the way, the cat landed gracefully on its paws. As it turned to face her, the dormouse grabbed the stick and swung it with all her might.

"Meee-YOW!" yowled the Cheshire Cat, clutching one eye in one paw. It glared angrily at the dormouse with the other.

"That REALLY hurt," it hissed in a warning voice, straining its calm. A smile was still on its face, despite its pain.

"Get ready for more!" sneered Mally, and swung again. This time the cat moved out of the way, and batted her with a paw, sending the dormouse, still holding her twig, toppling to the ground a few feet away. The dormouse, winded, barely avoided the cat's claws as they came down where she landed. If they had hit, they would have cut out her eyes.

The Cheshire Cat looked at the dormouse, smiling mouth watering.

"You certainly know how to test my patience, dormousey," it purred.

Mally glowered hotly. Such a derisive name could not go unchallenged...

"Don't call me that," she snarled.

"What?" said the cat, innocently. _"Dormousey?"_

"Stop it."

"Dormousey!" it teased.

"Stop it!"

"DORMOUSEY! DORMOUSEY! DORMOUSEY!"

"STOP. IT!" shrieked Mallymkun with fury, and with a growl she ran at the smiling cat, twirling the twig about her head. The cat grabbed the twig as she swung, snapping it in half between his claws, and smacked the dormouse with the back of one paw. Mally flew through the air, and hit the ground with a thud. She gasped with pain, and tried to stand up, when a soft, but horribly strong force pushed her back into the dirt. She looked up and found herself staring right into the eyes of her foe. Triumph shone in those eyes, as well as ravenous hunger.

"You lose, little one," hissed the cat, smacking its lips. "Say hello to my intestines for me, will you?"

"Be quiet and finish it already, you miserable meatball of a cat," snarled the dormouse in defiance. She did not shut her eyes, only braced herself for the teeth she was sure would soon rip into her small frame, her eyes never leaving the cat's gaze. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to die a pitiful, whimpering wreck.

She wasn't afraid to die; at times she'd longed for death...

To her surprise, the cat didn't deal another strike. He made no move whatsoever. He stared at her, wide-eyed, amazement, shock, curiosity, and now only the slightest hint of hunger in its glowing, blue-green eyes. They then narrowed again.

"You know what?" purred the cat, sounding almost sinisterly cool in tone, "You were so much fun to play with, I think I'll let you go, if only so I don't lose an amusing toy like yourself."

"Gee, I'm flattered," squeaked the dormouse, sarcastically. The cat laughed.

"I am Chessur," it said, "And we SHALL meet again,_ dormousey_."

"Next time we meet," sneered Mally, "I'll stick a needle in your throat. You see if I don't."

The cat's eyes flared with an emotion Mallymkun could not read. It winked at her and, to her surprise, vanished in a cloud of dark blue mist. Its grin was the last thing to go. Immediately, Mallymkun felt the weight of the paw dissipate, and she cautiously rose, looking about, expecting to see the cat anywhere.

"There you are!" she heard a voice call. She turned as her mother raced out of the bushes.

"Don't lag behind!" squeaked her mother. "We'll be late!"

"Sorry," said Mally. "I got...distracted."

"No time for distractions, Mallymkun!" said her mother, rolling her eyes. "Come on. There could be cats here!"

"Yes," said Mally, taking a last glance around. "There could be."

As the dormouse and her mother left the area, a pair of blue-green eyes swirled into view, followed by an immense, mischievous grin, a pink whiskered nose, and eventually an entire cat's head. It chuckled with glee as it watched both dormice scurry away.

"We'll see, _MALLYMKUN_," purred the cat to itself. "We'll see..."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Book I**_

**Chapter III: Temporary Escape**

Mallymkun's eyes scanned the crowd upon arrival at the festival.

She sighed inwardly at all the smiles she saw.

As her family headed for a miniature darts booth, run by a black hamster in a white vest, Mally continued to search the crowd.

_Come on, he's always here...I've seen him here every year...I need to speak with him, now, more than ever before with a bloody cat on my tail..._

Finally, she spotted him: a gecko, with scales the color of jade, in a brown over coat and vest and a white shirt, wearing a saber, fashioned from a letter opener, at his side. She smiled slightly.

The gecko was talking to a White Rabbit – whom she did not know – in a bright blue waistcoat and pale yellow cravat, who kept checking his pocket watch nervously. The lizard stopped.

He glanced her way.

He frowned.

Then the gecko muttered what she assumed was an apology and left the rabbit, heading for a (very) small bar, selling drinks and party snacks.

Mally smirked slightly, and headed over...

"Mally?"

_Mindy..._

"Yes?"

"Where are you going? Mom said we all-"

"I just need to talk to someone, all right?"

Mindysa eyed her sister curiously.

"Is this about dad?"

Mally mentally scowled at the affectionate term; her little sister was the only one to call him that.

"Yes...no...a little bit...it's complicated, okay?"

Mindy shrugged.

"Well, all right...be careful, Mally."

"Aren't I always?" Mally grinned, ruffling the fur on her sister's head. Mindy squeaked and brushed her hand away, giggling. Mally chuckled and headed over to the miniature bar, while Mindy headed back to the darts.

Mallymkun sat coolly beside the gecko, who paid her no mind. He thanked the cashier for whatever he had ordered, handing him the empty plate, and took a drink from his cup. The dormouse tapped the cashier, a fruit bat, on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but have you any treacle-pepper tarts?"

The cashier shook his head.

"No, ma'am. Sorry."

"What's there to drink?"

"Tea, lemonade, punch..."

"Punch."

The cashier smiled and nodded and went to the back of the bar.

"You aren't one for sight-seeing, are you?" the lizard said, sighing softly, apparently speaking to her.

Mally looked at him and smiled.

"Never have been. I like to keep my eyes on the goal."

The lizard snorted softly and took another drink.

"What about you?"

He turned towards her, smiling a smile that didn't quite reach his cold, green-and-gold, reptilian eyes.

"If you think I don't know you, you are correct, at least on some points."

Mally blinked, keeping her expression as straight as he she could.

"And by that you mean...?"

"I've seen you here every year: the dormouse in the pink skirt and blouse who stands to the side and seems to sulk while her family attempts to enjoy themselves. Why they never succeed, I have no idea...if they broke up once in a while to actually experience the holiday..."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The lizard scoffed.

"Yes, you do. You always look my way. You always seem to want to talk to me. My question to you is...why?"

Mally smiled.

"Are you Billnor Creole, the former Captain of the Guards who served the last King and Queen of Underland?"

The lizard blinked and took another drink.

"Call me Bill...at least for right now."

"So you are."

"Yes. Why is that important?"

"I've heard that you were the greatest swordsman Underland has ever known."

The lizard smiled slightly. This time it was genuine.

"Where did you hear that?"

"You mean it's not true?"

"I didn't say that. I asked where you heard that information."

Mally coughed.

"Well...word gets around..."

"Whatever. However you heard it, it is true. You still haven't answered my original question: why? I don't do autographs, if that's what you want..."

"Not even close."

The lizard looked at her, long and hard. He seemed to be studying her. Then he smiled, his sharp, needle-like teeth glittering in the sunlight and shadows of the festival.

"You want me to teach you how to fight."

Mally stared.

"How did you...?"

"When you've been through all I have, you learn things. It was simple really: first, the bruise on your cheek – which I don't want to know how you managed to get – and the thin form of your body suggest a rough life. The rest of your family seems to bear similar marks, but theirs are not as extreme as yours. Also, a faint, feline scent...so faint I'm surprised I can detect it, since your own family doesn't seem able to. From this, I can deduce you've had a close encounter with a cat of some kind. Finally, the spots of mud that smear the very edge of your skirt and breeches, which only serve to prove either the latter of or even both of my earlier deductions. From these observations, and your poorly-done poker face, I can therefore conclude that, for matters of self-defense, you want me to instruct you on how to teach you."

A pause.

"You are very good."

"I assure you, I am not anything of the kind."

"So, will you?"

Bill snorted.

"My instruction days are over. My swordsmanship is reserved for practice...in these times, one must stay on top of the ball. And something tells me you have no money for payment."

"I'll get money."

Bill laughed.

"I will!" Mally snapped, suddenly standing up, her face red. "You think I can't find work because I'm a dormouse? You're only about a head taller than me yourself! I can find work, and I have plans!"

Bill eyed her strangely.

"You don't have to shout to seem tough," he said flatly. "Take a seat."

Mally growled and sat down. The lizard smirked.

"What's your name?"

"Mallymkun."

"Hm. Odd name."

"And yours isn't? 'Billnor Creole'...at least 'Bill' rolls off the tongue easier."

"And what would roll off of my tongue easier if I wanted to talk to you?"

The dormouse hesitated, suddenly nervous, like a child approaching a hero.

"Well...my sisters call me...Mally."

Bill smiled wider.

"Tomorrow," he said. "Meet me at the home of Nivens McTwisp, the White Page. I'll be in the back. Be there by 6:00, and be prepared. If I like what I see, I might consider teaching you...but that is a big 'if.'"

Mally raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to your days of instruction being over?"

Bill chuckled.

"That's what happened."

Without another word, the lizard left the bar.

"If you're expecting a temporary escape," he added over his shoulder. "Don't get your hopes up."

Mally watched him go, silently, her lips curved in a hopeful, relieved smile.

But she felt dreadfully nervous inside...


	4. Chapter 4

_**Book I**_

**Chapter IV: First Test...**

_Everything's...in place._

This was Mallymkun's first thought on the White Rabbit's home.

It was a quaint, tidy place. The absurdly geometric house was two stories, made of pale red bricks and with a white wooden roof and a blue wooden door, on which was a plaque. Before the door and porch was a path of polished gray stones, and surrounding was a neat lawn, with two trees and a carrot patch on one side. Cucumber frames surrounded the house, and the whole thing was surrounded by a wooden fence.

She entered and headed to the back yard.

Near an old shed, she saw Bill the Lizard sharpening his sword with a grindstone. Beside him stood the White Rabbit.

The Rabbit was looking at his watch. Noticing Mally, he tapped the gecko on the shoulder. Bill took one look at the dormouse and smiled that cold, toothy smile of his before standing up. The Rabbit snapped his watch shut, nodded, and hopped quickly back into his house.

"You're early," hissed the lizard.

"Fashionably."

_Besides, there's nothing else for me to do..._

"Are you prepared?"

Mally whipped out the weapon she had chosen: a wooden needle she'd found on the ground at the festival. It wasn't the sharpest, or the lightest, choice for a sword, but she hoped it would satisfy the swordsman.

The lizard shrugged.

"That works. Now, here's how _this_ works: inside this shed is an assortment of dummies I use for practice. I will let them out, you will dispatch them. The number of dummies you defeat will be the variable by which I decide whether to begin teaching again or not."

"How high is the minimum?"

The lizard smiled wider.

"Won't say. Good luck."

He slammed his fist against the shed.

The door fell over, and Mallymkun jumped back, as a large, automated dummy, twice as large as she was, moving by means of a small engine and three wheels, popped out. Its arms clumsily swung a pair of long, deadly knives as it rattled towards her rapidly.

Mally jumped up, dodging a knife, and jabbed her needle through the dummy's head. It fell over instantly.

Two more approached: one wielding a spear, the other an axe. Jumping out of the spear's path, she climbed up onto the dummy with the axe, stabbing at the arm holding the weapon. The dummy dropped the axe, and Mally jumped off as the spear-wielding one lunged at her and ended up impaling the axe-dummy. A needle through its neck soon disposed of it.

Three more: each carried a mace. Mally moved away as one mace slammed down in an arc, and tossed her needle into the dummy's "ribcage." It stuck, and the dummy fell down. Jumping and rolling to avoid the other two maces, she leapt up onto the fallen dummy and pulled her needle out. As one of the remaining dummies swung at her, she jumped onto its arm and stabbed its shoulder, and then jammed the needle to one side, causing the limb to fall off, before kicking herself down, knocking the dummy down in the process. The remaining dummy was easily taken out by a stab to the neck.

Now came four more dummies, three holding a sword, one holding a scythe. Mally took out the scythe-wielding dummy before it could make a move with a jab in very center of its head, where a nose might have been. One of the sword wielding dummies lunged, and she parried the blow before stabbing the back of its hand, causing it to drop its weapon, and then stabbed it in the head, just as she had the scythe-carrier. The other two swung down their weapons...and completely missed. With a slight chuckle, the dormouse jabbed one in the center, felling it with ease, and then scratched the fingers and wrist of the remaining sword wielder to make it drop its blade, then ran the needle all the way through its chest.

It took a moment for her to pull it out...giving the next dummy that came up an opening. The dummy held a crobar for a weapon, and batted the dormouse away clumsily. Mallymkun let out a short, painful squeak as she flew across the yard. The dummy approached, preparing to smash her as she sat up, unsteadily, still winded and in unbelievable pain from the blow, trying to find where she'd dropped her needle...

The dummy fell in half.

Saber held in both claws, Billnor Creole stood over the fallen dormouse, eyeing the destroyed dummy before turning to her.

"I bet that hurt."

Mally nodded in response, her teeth clenched.

Bill chuckled.

"Well, let me tell you this: you just faced eleven mechanical practice dummies...dummies used by _me._ All my students of the past have faced these same eleven dummies. Out of eleven dummies, you killed ten."

He paused.

"So...I passed?"

"Well, let me put it to you this way: do you want to know how many dummies my past pupils – pupils who are now guards and military officers – defeated on their first attempt? All of them got the same number down."

"...And that number was...?"

Bill smirked and held up a fist.

"Zero."

There was a silence.

"For someone who I take it has had no formal training," Bill went on, idly flipping his saber in his claws, "Your skills are, to put it bluntly, absolutely stunning. Have you ever lost a fight? I can tell you've been in at least one..."

"I've been in several, actually. And the only time I did lose, my attacker let me go."

_And I don't really understand why..._

Bill grinned wider, eyes narrowing slightly. He held up his saber.

_"En garde."_

Mally jumped up, grabbing her needle, and thrusted at the gecko...

Where did he go?

WHAP!

Something slammed onto the top of her head.

A saber hilt.

She whipped around, her needle connecting with the letter-opener blade. The reptilian smile before her was taunting and wide.

She slashed and lunged, trying to scratch or stab her opponent, who blocked every move she made with "inhuman" grace and ease.

Then, suddenly, her needle was gone, and a saber point was at her throat.

"Time against dummies: five minutes. Time against me: five seconds."

The lizard smirked.

"Your skills are stunning...but crude. Your power is great...but flawed."

"But, still, I've never lost a fight..."

"Yes, except to an old, supposedly slow in the late afternoons and early mornings, and admittedly out of his prime gecko swordsman, just now."

Mally raised an eyebrow.

"With all due respect, considering positions, I'd say you're anything but past your prime, sir."

"Bill, please. And thank you, but if you think I'm good with a blade now, you should have seen me twenty years ago."

Mally couldn't hold back the smile that played over her lips.

"That's scary...Bill."

The lizard grinned wider, a brief, strange light in his eyes...then frowned slightly, sheathing his sword, the light leaving his eyes quickly.

"I'm going to teach you, Mallymkun. But not today. Come back tomorrow, at the same time. Every day, we'll train, unless I say otherwise. Tomorrow will be your first real lesson, and I will explain the rules."

"Yes, Bill."

Bill smiled.

"If it makes you feel better about your loss, know that I, too, have never lost a fight."

"Well, I think I've just learned that there is always a first time."

Bill laughed.

"I've always known...my first time simply hasn't arrived yet. Anyway, you're talented. That, alone, qualifies you. It's your emotions that you need to work on: they are both your fuel and your apocalypse. Your skill is tainted with rage and blind fury...but is empowered by determination."

Another pause.

"Our lessons will work on that. Starting tomorrow. You may go."

Mally nodded, smiling slightly, picked up her needle, and left.

As she exited the gate, a sudden revelation caused her to scowl.

_Good news: he's teaching me. Bad news: father comes home tonight._

_This will be tricky..._


End file.
